What to do in Beijing? + Where to stay?

Capital of China for more than 800 years, Beijing, is the second most populated city of the country, after Shanghai. To visit Beijing is to discover the heart of political power and the cultural center of China. To discover all the places of interest in Beijing, I recommend you spend at least 3 or 4 days on your first tour in China .

With our guide, discover the 13 things to do, see and visit in Beijing! You’ll also find great deals on where to stay in Beijing, as well as examples of routes to visit the city in 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 days.

So, what are the tourist attractions to discover?

Visit Beijing: the essentials

1. Summer Palace

The Summer Palace is, with the Forbidden City, the must visit to Beijing. Located to the north west of the city, this UNESCO World Heritage Site includes, in addition to the palace, a huge park with temples, pavilions, halls and bridges of classical Chinese architecture. The park is built around Kunming Lake (昆明湖) and dominated by the Longevity Hill (万寿山).

The Summer Palace is for many travelers the place of interest to see absolutely in Beijing!

To enjoy and go around the gardens, plan a big half day visit.

Beijing Summer Palace

2. Forbidden City

The Forbidden City was, from the Ming dynasty and for almost 5 centuries the residence of the emperors and their court. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987, it is ranked among the 5 most important palaces in the world and represents the culmination of traditional Chinese architectural knowledge. Must see in Beijing!

If you want to visit the Forbidden City in its entirety, plan a half day. The main axis can be visited in 2-3 hours, and count well 2 more to walk on the east and west sides!

Getting There : Take the Beijing Metro to Tian’anmen East or Tian’anmen West.

Forbidden City Times : 8:30 am to 5 pm, every day. The ticket office closes at 15:30.

To avoid queuing at the counters, I recommend buying your tickets in advance. All you have to do is go to the turnstiles with your printed tickets!You can book tickets for the Forbidden City now by clicking here

The Forbidden City

3. The Hutongs of Beijing

The Hutongs, traditional neighborhoods, form a labyrinth of small streets very pleasant to visit! It’s really nice to hang out there and discover authentic scenes of life, you can spend hours there and not see the time passing. A real return in time!

The 2 areas with the highest concentration of Hutongs are the north west of the Forbidden City, and the south of Tiananmen Square, near Qianmen Street.

If you are interested in visiting Hutongs, this site lists the 10 most famous: Beijing hutongs

Here is also the map of a (very) big tour of hutongs near the forbidden city, this should help you to make your route!

Hutong Map of Beijing

4. Tiananmen Square

Located at the southern entrance of the Forbidden City, this huge square is the largest in the world. It is said that it can hold more than a million people! It is bordered on the east by the People’s Assembly Palace and on the west by the National Museum of China

On Tiananmen Square is also 2 monuments:

The Monument to the Heroes of the People, built in honor of the martyrs who gave their life during the Chinese revolution in the nineteenth and twentieth century.

The mausoleum of Mao Zedong where is exposed the embalmed body of the former Chinese leader.

5. Beijing National Center for the Performing Arts

Near Tian’anmen Square, to the west, just behind the People’s Assembly Palace, is Beijing’s National Center for the Performing Arts, sometimes referred to as ” Beijing Opera “. Built in the middle of a pool, it’s worth going around to admire the purity of its architecture reflected in the water!

Beijing National Center for the Performing Arts

6. Qianmen Street

Exit Tian’anmen Square from the south to Qianmen Street, which is the tourist street of Beijing. Throughout its length (a little over 800m), you will find tons of shops and restaurants. Do not hesitate to take the small streets around, which are less crowded, less expensive, and more authentic!

Qianmen Street

7. Try Peking Duck in Beijing

On Qianmen Street and adjacent streets you will see tons of restaurants offering the “Beijing roasted duck”, the famous Lacquered Duck of Beijing. This is an opportunity to taste this monument of Chinese cuisine!

Beijing Lacquered Duck

8. Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven, is located south of Qianmen Street, from which it is also accessible on foot. Symbolizing the connection between heaven and earth, it offers visitors since 2006, year of restoration, a multitude of temples and pavilions to visit, in addition to a large park. The most famous pavilion is the “Prayer Room for Harvesting”, built on a circular promontory, with its cylindrical base and 3-part roof.

As with the Forbidden City, it is better for you to buy tickets in advance. It’s the best way to save time on your day of visit!Book your tickets for the Temple of Heaven by clicking here

The Temple of Heaven

9. Former Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan Park)

the Ancient Summer Palace, also known as Yuanmingyuan Park is located north of Beijing, east of the Summer Palace. Although close, because of the size of the two sites, it is not possible to do them in their entirety in the same day.

Previously the emperor’s private gardens, this huge park includes, in addition to lakes, canals and gardens, multiple pavilions, halls, and bridges of classical architecture. An archaeological area can also be visited, with ruins of European-style palaces, destroyed during the Second Opium War, in the nineteenth century.

When you visit the site, you have the choice between taking the entrance only for the park, or for the park + the ruins.

To get to the ancient Summer Palace, the easiest way is to take the subway to Yuanmingyuan Station .

Yuanminyan Park (Former Summer Palace)

10. Beihai Park

Beihai Park, once a private imperial garden, is one of the oldest (over 1000 years old!) And the most beautiful parks in the country. Now public, this haven of peace, located north west of the Forbidden City, in the city center, consists of a large lake (Northern Sea) on which lies the island of Qiongdao.

To discover on foot or by bike, this relaxing place is ideal to get away from the hustle and bustle of the capital!

Beijing Beihai Park

11. Temple of Lamas (Yonghe Temple)

And no, even if it will certainly disappoint some, the Lama Temple is not dedicated to the hairy mascot of Peru! It is the largest Tibetan temple in Beijing, and lies north-east of the Forbidden City. This temple is still active, and you can meet during your visit Tibetan monks among the hundred who live there.

Lama Temple, Yonghe Temple

12. Temple of Confucius

As long as you are there, right next to the lamas temple is the Temple of Confucius, which is also worth a visit! Built in the 14th century Yuan Dynasty, it houses the only remaining imperial school in China. More than 2000 years after his death, the principles of Confucius still form the basis of Chinese morality today!

The Confucius Temple in Beijing is the second most important temple dedicated to the Chinese thinker, after that of Qufu, birthplace of Confucius.

The confucius temple of Beijing

13. Great Wall of China

If you go through Beijing on your trip to China, you can not miss a trip to the Great Wall! This is the place of interest!

You will have the choice between several sections, more or less close to Beijing, some to do in the day and others or a 2-day excursion is recommended

In any case, I suggest you avoid the Badaling section, which is crowded, and will not let you enjoy the beauty of the place.

The best section for me is Jinshanling, 120km from Beijing. I recommend you spend the night in Simatai, at the guesthouse “Dongpo Restaurant“. It’s spartan, but the owners are lovely and the food is delicious!

Take the bus late in the morning to Simatai, which will allow you, after depositing your luggage at the Guest House, to have a taste of the wall by going up to the WangJing Tower, about 1 hour walk. The more adventurous can attend the sunset before descending. In this case, absolutely take a headlamp!

The next day you will be able to visit the newly opened Simatai section and / or the owner will take you to the Jinshaling section by car. When I did it, I met only 2 photographers and 2 or 3 street vendors in the towers in 3 hours of walk!

Another very good section of the Great Wall to visit is Mutianyu. There are also organized tours to the day to go, and it’s really very convenient!

Visit Beijing in 5 days

In 5 days in Beijing, you will have time to do the 3 days mentioned above and spend 2 days visiting the Great Wall, which is clearly the ideal! I recommend the Jinshanling section and / or that of Simatai (newly opened), 120km from Beijing. I talk about it in more detail here

Beijing Tourist Map

Here is a tourist map of Beijing, which will help you to locate the main attractions of the city:

Beijing Tourist Map

Where to sleep in Beijing

Here are my favorite hotels to sleep in Beijing. Book in advance to benefit from the best rate!

Happy Dragon Hostel Courtyard Dongsishitiao : Hostel in a quiet area 150 meters from the nearest metro station and 3km from the Beijing train station. Bed in dormitory from 8 € per night, breakfast at 4 €. Very welcoming staff. Most: ideal location and English speaking staff.

Shichahai Shadow Art Performance Hotel : Nestled in the heart of a hutong, in the historical district of Xicheng, close to the lakes. Room combining modernity and typical decoration from 57 € per night, breakfast buffet (very rich) included. Most: Free Chinese shadow show and opportunity to take a calligraphy or cooking class. Our big favorite in Beijing!

Beijing Double Happiness Courtyard Hotel : Typical hotel located in a hutong near the center, a 20-minute walk from the Forbidden City. Very comfortable room decorated in the old Chinese style from 100 € per night, breakfast included. Plus: the hotel offers excursions at attractive rates.

Legendale Hotel beijing : Hotel 5 * very well located near a metro station and the Forbidden City. This European-style palace is truly sublime, and the staff can not do enough for you! Overnight from 170 €. This is for me the best choice for a luxury stay in Beijing.

I am passionate about travel, writing and music. I like writing books, landing in an unknown country, brassens, beer, cats, jazz and shells. I put a point of honor to seek for you the best information to sublimate your travels. A question about a destination, a visit, a good plan? I'll answer in the comments.